


A Little Trouble

by NowThatsDedication



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Durin - Freeform, Fluff, awww, babysitting disaster, naughty dwarflings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 16:24:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11763777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NowThatsDedication/pseuds/NowThatsDedication
Summary: Fíli can keep his cool in most situations - except babysitting.





	A Little Trouble

“Huh?” _Durin’s Beard_! Fíli squinted at the sight, struggling to make sense if it. “Kíli, what are you doing?”

His brother walked toward him with a scheming grin and a small dwarfling in tow. “Look, that’s uncle Fíli! He’s going to help us.”

“Um, something you want to tell me?” Fíli asked, only half joking. He could never be too sure.

“It’s not like that! I don’t know who the kid belongs to. I found him,” Kíli explained, as if it was a normal occurrence to stumble upon unclaimed dwarflings.

“Found him?” The account sounded credible. Who would voluntarily let Kíli watch their offspring?

“Yes, over by the forges. Rescued him, you could say.”

“Well, you can’t keep him.”

“I don’t intend to.” They both stared at the foundling, as they would an exotic creature from half the world away. “He doesn’t say much and he’s a little sticky, but he’s cute, right?”

“I guess so.” Fíli wasn’t sure what he thought; he didn’t have much experience with children. They were unpredictable, he knew, and Fíli was not fond of surprises. “He’s probably lost.”

“Obviously. But I can’t tell where he came from.” Kíli crouched down next to the boy and asked, “Where’s your mama, little one?” The young dwarf merely blinked and stuck his thumb in his mouth. “See? He’s not much help.”

The wee mute tottered over and wrapped his arms around Fíli’s leg. Fíli tried to shake him off, unsure of how sticky he actually was.

“Awww look at that! He likes you! No one else ever wants to hug you, looks like you made a friend.”

Fíli shot his brother a glare that was sharper than a hundred knives but Kíli was too busy gushing over the surprise affection to care.

“I’ll go find whoever’s missing him,” Kíli volunteered. “Surely someone has to be looking for him, right? And since you are so adorable together, you can keep him company!”

“Wait, you can’t leave him here with me!” Fíli panicked. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Just look after him, it’s not difficult. It’s not like I’m asking you to watch a dozen ponies. Besides, the ladies love it when you spend time with kiddies,” he winked.

“But I don’t know how to handle a-”

“It’ll be fine, he’s a good lad. Aren’t you, pal?” Kíli asked the supposed good lad and patted his head. “Kids are easy! It doesn’t hurt too bad when they bite and remember…don’t let him smell fear.”

“I’m not afraid! What are you talking about?”

But Kíli had already fled and Fíli was now stuck with a tiny, lost dwarfling. Wonderful.

He knelt down to his eye level. “So, little fella, what’s your name? Are you- OWWW!” The lad had a death grip on his braids. _Dear Mahal,_ was he strong! High pitched laughter drowned out his cries of pain, the agony of his precious hair being ripped from his face.

“Don’t...pull…those!” He pried the little hands loose after some effort. “It’s not nice to grab mustaches, it hurts!” The tot cocked his head to the side and attacked another braid, one attached to his head this time.

“No! Not those either!” He let go after a brief struggle but couldn’t resist kicking Fíli hard in the shin; that also amused him and he giggled with glee.

“That’s not funny.” Fíli was becoming a toddler’s punching bag. “Please, just…sit. Sit down. Can you sit?” He pointed at the ground. If animals can do it, certainly a young dwarf could.

But he didn’t sit. The command was misunderstood to mean sprint around in circles, which he did with gusto, screaming and waving an invisible sword. He whacked Fíli in the legs during a few spins. “No hitting!” He begged, shielding his more delicate areas from harm. What a brat!

This wasn’t too unlike dealing with Kíli at times; how would he handle Kíli? “Do you want a cookie?” Fíli tried.

The whirlwind paused; the promise of sugar got his attention.

“I can give you a cookie,” Fíli offered in desperation.

The kid held out his sticky hand.

Fíli hadn’t thought out his strategy too well. “Uh, so I don’t actually have one now but I’ll get it later.”

Betrayed, he began whining and stomping his foot. Lesson learned: don’t promise cookies if you can’t deliver.

“But if you’re good, I’ll get you many, many cookies. A whole jar full! Just be good for a moment.”

Vague promises didn’t work; he resumed his one-dwarf race, finding the utmost amusement in Fíli’s frustration. Or perhaps he simply enjoying running in circles. Certainly he would tire himself out eventually; but he didn’t. Instead he grabbed for Fíli’s knife, one of several on his belt.

“Don’t touch that! Do you want to be sliced in half?!” He raised his voice and swatted the little hand away, gently, but enough to make his lips quiver and balled up fists raise to his eyes. The tears came like the bursting of a dam. _That's it, I made a little one cry,_ Fíli thought. _I must be truly awful._

“Please don’t cry, please! I don’t want to return you with a finger or two less…here, you like them? I’ll let you see it if you promise to be careful.” He wasn’t sure if giving the lad access to a weapon was the best idea, but it might stop the crying. He allowed him to pat a sheathed one fixed to his arm. It seemed to satisfy his curiosity and it ended the wailing, thankfully.

“See, we don’t touch the pointy parts, those are for enemies.”

The enthralled dwarfling’s eyes lit up with fire and he screeched the only word he cared to share. “Ooooorc!” Punching the air with fury, he looked quite focused on killing imaginary foes.

“That’s right, we fight orcs with them.” Fíli covered the lower portion of his face, to hide a potentially tempting, swinging distraction. In his orc slaying excitement, the bloodthirsty lad dashed away. _Great Gates of Moria_ , was he fast!

“Where are you going? Come back!” Fíli chased after, humbled that such short legs could almost outrun him.

“Ooooorc!” _Axes of fire_ , was he loud! The growl sounded more beast than boy. Fíli now doubted he was lost at all, but rather set loose by the pack of wargs that must have raised him.

“Sorry but there are no orcs around for you to kill.” He kicked back furiously as Fíli scooped him up.

“Ooooorc!” Captured, he whined and thrashed; the verge of a full blown tantrum. All his limbs were flailing, and thrashing, with no care to where they landed.

“Oww, oww. I’m not an orc!” Why are you kicking me?!” Actual orcs gave Fíli less trouble than this wild creature, who responded with an ear shattering scream.

“What is it?” Fíli pleaded, mentally and physically exhausted. “What?! I don’t understand! What do you want?!” He leaned against the wall in exhaustion, the squirming dwarfling restrained tight in his arms. “I tried my best but I can’t do this! You’re impossible!”

For reasons unknown, especially to Fíli, the outburst stopped quite suddenly. For the first time since they were alone, he was still and calm and…normal. Yawning, he buried his face in the fur of Fïli’s coat and nestled in a bit, running his hands over the softness. He finally rested them around Fíli’s neck. Fast asleep as if a switch had been pulled.

“Oh.” Huh, well wasn’t that funny. Now that he wasn’t moving or making noise or destroying anything, he _was_ kind of cute, Fíli thought; like a warm, breathing, sack of potatoes in his arms. Fíli swayed him lightly, momentarily forgetting the mayhem and pain he caused earlier. He stood like this for a while, unable (and slightly afraid) to move, lest he wake the wee sleeping savage.

“There you are, you little imp!” A frantic young lass cried, rushing over to them.

“Huh I wasn’t expecting this,” Kíli followed, honestly expecting his brother to be in tears by now.

“Shhh, shhh, I got him to sleep.”

“Fíli, what did you do, drug him?” Kíli laughed.

“No! Let’s get him to his mother.” He transferred the boy to another pair of arms.

“Oh, I’m not his mother,” she corrected, “I’m his aunt and I’m supposed to be watching him but he got away, from right under my nose!” They lowered the conversation to whispers. “I was in such a panic, imagine if I had lost my nephew! Thank you both so much. I know he can be a handful sometimes.”

“Nah, he wasn’t too bad,” Fíli politely objected, but his upper lip was still aching.

“You got him to quiet down, you must have a way with children.” She smiled; she had a pretty smile.

“Oh, yes, yes, I’m very good with the little ones.”

Kíli snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Maybe you can come by to visit him some time? You get along well and he seems to really like you.” She smiled again at Fíli and fluttered her eyelashes.

What was this an invitation for, exactly? Was he agreeing to help babysit a screaming terror or was there something more to that smile? _Son of a dragon!_ What a conundrum. Fíli was willing to take the risk.

“Sure! I’d love to."

 

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to raiyana


End file.
